| Todd Saldana |
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 | Position:
Head Coach
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| Year at UCLA:
First
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Todd Saldana returns to the UCLA men's soccer program as just the fifth coach in the program's 32 years under NCAA status.
Saldana, who was an assistant coach for the men's team from 1989 to 1995, replaces his one-time mentor Sigi Schmid, who resigned in April 1999 after 19 years as head coach.
Serving as head coach of the UCLA men's program is nothing new to Saldana; he was the interim head coach from December 1993 to August 1994 while Schmid took a leave of absence from UCLA to be the assistant coach of the U.S. World Cup Team.
While an assistant coach with the UCLA men, Saldana's teams made six appearances in the NCAA Tournament, won the 1990 National Championship, reached the 1994 Final Four and made quarterfinal appearances in 1989, 1991 and 1992. During his tenure, he coached current U.S. National Team members Brad Friedel, Frankie Hejduk, Cobi Jones, Eddie Lewis, Joe-Max Moore and Ante Razov, as well as 17 Major League Soccer players.
Last season, Saldana coached the UCLA women's soccer team to its second consecutive Pac-10 title and third NCAA tournament bid. He led the Bruins to the second-best record in school history in 1998 (17-4-1).
Prior to his stint with the UCLA women's team, Saldana coached the Loyola Marymount men's team to a 6-9-1 record and a school-record for conference wins in 1997. In 1995 and 1996, he was the head men's and women's coach at Cal Poly Pomona, where he was named California Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Coach of the Year in 1995 and Men's Coach of the Year in 1996.
Saldana, who holds a USSF "A" Coaching License, was the Under-16 State head coach for the Olympic Development Program. He has assisted on the Under-17 and Under-18 Boys' National teams.
In addition to his coaching accomplishments, Saldana had an excellent playing career. As a high school senior in 1980, he was the 11th player drafted overall by the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North American Soccer League. He played professionally in the NASL from 1980 to 1984, winning the 1983 NASL Championship as well as the 1985 ASL Championship. After playing for the Aztecs from 1980-81, Saldana played for San Jose in '82, Tulsa from '82-84 and in the American Soccer League for Ft. Lauderdale from '84-86.
Saldana played on various national teams starting at age 15. He was a member of the Under-20 National team which in 1981 became the first U.S. team to qualify for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup.
Saldana was a two-time All-American midfielder at South Torrance High school. He received his B.A. in Psychology in June of 1997 from Columbia State University. Saldana is a native of Redondo Beach and was born on January 15, 1962. He and his wife Denise currently live in El Segundo with their four daughters Adeline, 5, Grace, 3, and one-year old twins Dominique and Antoinette.
